Image capture devices are operable to capture images (e.g., an object scene) in the form of image data (e.g., electronic image data). Non-limiting examples of existing image capture devices include digital cameras, digital camcorders, scanning devices, and/or the like.
Typically, an image capture device is set to one of a plurality of available modes of operation. For example, some existing image capture devices may be operated in a mode for capturing images (referred to herein as the “image capture” mode) or a mode for reviewing images (referred to herein as the “image review” mode). When in image capture mode, an image capture device normally enables a user to capture an image by activating image capture operations for the device (e.g., by depressing a shutter release button). Also when in image capture mode, an image capture device may provide a preview of the image that will be captured by the device if the user activates the aforementioned image capture operations. This real-time preview is typically provided by a display and/or optical viewfinder of the image capture device. When in the image review mode, the image capture device normally enables a user to review already captured images via the display of the image capture device. The image capture device may also enable the user to edit the images when the image capture device is in image review mode.
With existing image capture devices, a user is forced to manually set the operational mode for the image capture device. For example, existing image capture devices typically comprise a dial, switch or other control through which the user sets the operational mode for the device.
However, having responsibility for setting the operational mode of the camera may be a source of frustration to the user. For example, a user may be unable to capture an image when the user desires to do so because the user did not remember to set the image capture device to the appropriate mode for capturing images. Assuming the image the user wanted to capture was fleeting, by the time the user sets the device to the appropriate mode, the image the user wanted to capture may have passed.